Pastoral Thoughts for New Disciples

One way to hear God speak is to listen to themes that appear in your life.   I’ve heard a very loud theme this week that I believe I am to share with you as a congregation. On Tuesday, a church member asked me about the part of the New Testament prayer that reads, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”   This church member was concerned about the “as” part of this prayer and the realization that we generally are not as good at forgiveness as God is. Then yesterday, a different church member brought up this same statement from the Lord’s Prayer and shared how every Sunday when we pray the same person’s name comes to this individual’s mind. Then this morning I went into our new prayer room at Kingston Hill and opened up to today’s date in the Upper Room devotional.   It read as following: “No Records Read Matthew 6:9-13 ‘[Love] keeps no record of wrongs.’ – 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) When I was a child my mom preferred t...

Devotional Reading:  Matthew 18:15-20 Sometimes the power we have in Christ is a little overwhelming. The idea that what we do here on earth has an impact in the heavenly realm and visa versa should give us pause.  If I in some way put handcuffs on someone it impacts them in the spiritual realm.  If I in some way release someone from bondage on earth it somehow impacts them in the spiritual realm. Jesus tells us, "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." What do these words mean to you? If my words and actions condemn a fellow believer how does that impact them spiritually?  If my words and actions release or set free a fellow believer how does that impact them spiritually?  If your words and actions either condemn someone or release someone how does that impact them spiritually?  Perhaps the act of forgiveness is more powerful than we even understand! This v...

Fourteen years ago, God provided for me in an unexpected way and today God mirrored that provision in an even more unexpected manner.  When I was in my early twenties God called me to return to my home city to start a ministry reaching out to higher-risk youth.  During that time, I worked as a volunteer missionary.  I made no income for my full-time mission work.  On the side I worked odd jobs such as house sitting and helping my mother at her fitness club.  I lived in my parents' basement. My mother suggested that I redecorate the basement guest bedroom to make it my own.  We hung some greenery around the ceiling.  My uncle helped to cut some boards into shelves for my books.  My mom gifted me a beautiful pastel green and blue quilt.  When I looked around my newly decorated room, it seemed like something was missing... a chair.  In my mind I could picture a pastel green bean bag chair sitting in the corner.  But I wasn't sure if ...

I wonder why in the Bible there is such a strong narrative theme of lengthy barrenness prior to fertility. It isn't just for the biblical heroes, but it is also for the people as a whole. Wanderings in the desert. The long-wait for a Messiah. The birth pains of God's future complete establishment of His reign on earth. As my husband and I wait for God to answer our prayers for a child, our congregation waits for God to give us a permanent home. The journey seems long, but in the context of eternity it is really short. And it seems like the waiting makes the fulfillment all that more meaningful!  The waiting helps us to realize where our priorities lay and helps us to have a greater appreciation of the treasure that awaits us.  Kind of like heaven.  The older we get, the more we appreciate the vision for this future with God.  

Did you ever read or hear the story about the three little pigs?  They each built a house using different construction material.  The first built his house of straw. The second of wood. The third of brick.  A wolf comes along and asks to enter each home with each pig responding that he won't let the wolf in.  So the wolf decides to blow each house down and is successful with the first two, but not the third. In 1 Corinthians 3 we read: 10 " By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12  If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13  their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work....